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Our Summary of Scorpions by Walter Dean Myers

Walter Dean Myers's novel 'Scorpions' is a story about the Hicks family. They are poor and led by a single parent mother who is currently late getting home from visiting her son, Randy, at the jail. Myers begins the novel with two kids waiting for their momma, fussing as a strategy to keep from worrying. Mama must raise a significant amount of money to bail her son out; this motivates her to work more hours to raise the money. While in jail, Randy tells his brother Jamal to visit Mack, a member of the Scorpions, and the same member who was with Randy when he pulled the heist that landed him in jail. Myers inserts suspense early in the story; Jamal claims he is not in the Scorpions, but throughout the story we see that he is more involved with the gang to the point of visiting their hideout, carrying a gun, and pulling it out for protection from bullies. Myers also inserts parental conflict into the storyline; Jamal doesn't like his father. He believes his father just visits him to get money. The author links Randy and Devon, Jamal's father by indicating that both men, father and Mama's son both make her cry. Events that continue to cause internal conflict within Jamal ensue, which motivate him to get out of the gang. The author leaves Jamal with a revelation: face bullies without using a gun.

More Books by Walter Dean Myers

FreeBookNotes has 30 more books by Walter Dean Myers, with a total of 126 study guides.